View Full Version : ******* Arc fog lights vs Showchrome vs Lamonster, thoughts ?
donhy
04-22-2019, 10:26 AM
I see there are three different types of after market fog lights available, i like the looks of ******* Arc just looking for feedback in case someone owned two of the three options or better yet had a chance to try all 3.
Me too! I like that attention grabbing DRL of the Arc lights and am waiting to hear what the jury has to say.
I have lamonsters. They are very bright. Maybe too bright. They will make your FM radio go static when turned on so you need his filters. Ok then. Unless you don't listen to radio. Then don't need them.
donhy
04-22-2019, 12:21 PM
I have lamonsters. They are very bright. Maybe too bright. They will make your FM radio go static when turned on so you need his filters. Ok then. Unless you don't listen to radio. Then don't need them.
I have no radio so that wont be a problem for me :)
Outlander
04-22-2019, 06:56 PM
My vote...171282
donhy
04-22-2019, 07:07 PM
My vote...171282
Bright enough ? Do they actually do anything other than looking cool ?
Outlander
04-22-2019, 07:26 PM
Bright enough ? Do they actually do anything other than looking cool ?
I installed them so people see me.
I installed them so people see me.
If you were to shine the fog lights on a wall, what would the pattern be? Round, oval, half round with a flat top? Do they project a beam far down the road?
ChrisRowe
04-23-2019, 06:25 AM
I just picked up my 2018 F3 limited this weekend and looking to add one of these kits.
I'll be following this thread for sure!!
Chris
ChicagoSpyder
04-23-2019, 07:04 AM
I like the DRL that the SM lights have, but they do not list a lumens output, the Showchrome has by far the most lumens for the buck, and the Lamonsters are the most expensive.
None of the above offer any info on the photometrics of the luminiere, you can have all the lumens in the world but if the photometrics suck they are not worth a damn.
I should also add that I am not a fan of the color temp (6000K) of any the luminieres above 5000K is a much better color to light up the night as it is the color of daylight at noon time, too much blue at 6000K.
ChicagoSpyder
04-23-2019, 07:29 AM
Lessons in lighting, good stuff :cheers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=35&v=F0YOItyKioE
That is a very informative video, thanks CS.
I emailed about the Arc Fog lights, asking the following.....
+ What is the pattern? It's a true fog light, so it has a flat top.
+ Does it project down the road? Not really, since it is a fog light.
donhy
04-23-2019, 11:03 AM
Pulled the trigger and ordered arc fog lights solely on cool factor, hopefully they are bright enough to provide extra visibilty
Pulled the trigger and ordered arc fog lights solely on cool factor, hopefully they are bright enough to provide extra visibilty
You know the arc light is on when the switch is off. So on all the time when running. When you turn switch on then you get a full round bright light. Look at the video.
Donhy....... we will be expecting a full report sir.
I also asked them about lumens and color. I will post their response.
I do very little night riding, so I am more interested in conspicuity then illumination. So these Arc lights are at the top of my list.in
donhy
04-23-2019, 01:24 PM
Donhy....... we will be expecting a full report sir.
I also asked them about lumens and color. I will post their response.
I do very little night riding, so I am more interested in conspicuity then illumination. So these Arc lights are at the top of my list.in
I will have nothing else to compare them to but I will let you know my thoughts on these once i get them installed.
CA Railwhale
05-03-2019, 11:29 AM
When you install the lights, get the Can Am heat shields, they are inexpensive, less than twenty bucks, and add a finished look to the installation by filling the gaps around the lights.
donhy
05-03-2019, 11:46 AM
When you install the lights, get the Can Am heat shields, they are inexpensive, less than twenty bucks, and add a finished look to the installation by filling the gaps around the lights.
I was under impression that with ARC Led's there is no gap only with lamonster ones but I'm hoping to install this weekend will provide updates.
ChicagoSpyder
05-03-2019, 01:15 PM
I was under impression that with ARC Led's there is no gap only with lamonster ones but I'm hoping to install this weekend will provide updates.
Looking forward to your update as I plan doing the fog lights too.
donhy
05-03-2019, 01:56 PM
Looking forward to your update as I plan doing the fog lights too.
Me too, it will be an exiting weekend as im doing bunch of other stuff to the F3
jlc41
05-04-2019, 05:48 AM
I have a 2018 FL3. I have Lamonsters LED head lights, not happy with down the road lighting. Has anyone installed driving lights on their trike? If so what did you install and where did you mount them?
Thanks in advance.
Joe
donhy
05-04-2019, 09:56 PM
So i got them installed today and unfortunately there is a gap although only noticeable if you get too close i am happy with the lights but not with the gap and i think theh should stick out to the front a bit more. For price its not a bad set. Coolness factor you ant beat it.171632
donhy....do you suppose that one can add spacers of some sort between the mounting plate and the light bracket to bring the lights out more? Or between the mounting plate and the bike?
Could you measure the distance you would like to have then moved forward and will note that when i install mine and report what I did.
Would that make the gap less obvious if they were more forward?
vtrider
05-05-2019, 06:21 AM
I purchased these from Value Accessories, a sponsor on this site. The installation went real well, as shown in the video. It is all plug and play. Just follow the instructions. These plug into the BRP fog light harness. I can say that these are very bright. The fog lights are connected to a switch so you can turn them on or off. The DRL " C lights" stays on all the time when in low beam. They will go out in high beam.
http://store.valueaccessories.net/DRLProjectorFoglightReplacementSpyderF3.aspx
vtrider....those appear to be the same lights as donhy put on his bike. Do you have that same gap?
donhy
05-05-2019, 12:14 PM
I've been researching fog lights and even factory brp ones have the gap to help with heat issues and as the other member mentioned you can order heat resistant caps that go around the light brp sells them for 8.99 a piece so im going to order that to see if it helps.
I've been researching fog lights and even factory brp ones have the gap to help with heat issues and as the other member mentioned you can order heat resistant caps that go around the light brp sells them for 8.99 a piece so im going to order that to see if it helps.
I see another report in the near future. :)
Outlander
05-05-2019, 01:15 PM
171649 adding a couple washers to move them forward isn’t a bad idea. I ordered the heat shields from brp .
donhy
05-05-2019, 02:06 PM
171649 adding a couple washers to move them forward isn’t a bad idea. I ordered the heat shields from brp .
The gap is not too bad on the F3T its worse on F3, yours must be F3T ?
donhy
05-05-2019, 02:08 PM
I see another report in the near future. :)
Yes once i finish all other mods im going to revisit this one again.
Looks as thought they can be moved forward 1/2" to 3/4" -- agree?
donhy
05-05-2019, 04:41 PM
Looks as thought they can be moved forward 1/2" to 3/4" -- agree?
Yes absolutley
vtrider
05-05-2019, 05:28 PM
vtrider....those appear to be the same lights as donhy put on his bike. Do you have that same gap?
Yes, There is a gap between the DRL/fog lights and the cutout for the fog lights on the side panels. It would be nice to have some sort of bezel in place here to give it a more finished look. I can live wit hit though.
donhy
05-07-2019, 03:21 PM
OK so it's close to perfect now, it was a bitch to get it aligned properly i didn't have the right shims so i was trying to get it working with what i had anyhow so move it forward by 1/2 inch and get the following shields and I can now say that I would recommend this but it is lot of work to get it done right. The only other thing i don't like but I can live with is with the lights going off when you have high beams. I like to have my high beams running during the day so now I have to chose between this or high beams. They could've have made this a perfect kit if they only spent a bit more time on the mounts.
705008995 LH Heat Shield
705008996 RH Heat Shield
I have a pair of driving lights from ******* mounted inside the front fenders on my 2016 F3 L and the are great. Especially helpful when turning. be sure to mount sw within easy reach as they are very bright.
donhy
05-07-2019, 05:27 PM
171719
171720
171721
Many thanks donhy. You are a gentleman and a scholar! You were great to add all those photos too. I already called my dealer and ordered the shields. Now to figure out how to keep 'em on with both hi & lo beams. I love a challenge.
donhy
05-08-2019, 11:36 AM
Many thanks donhy. You are a gentleman and a scholar! You were great to add all those photos too. I already called my dealer and ordered the shields. Now to figure out how to keep 'em on with both hi & lo beams. I love a challenge.
It maybe as simple as removing a wire from the connector not sure how their led module is programmed. Wife was getting annoyed with me spending 2-3 days in the garage so i left it at that.
It maybe as simple as removing a wire from the connector not sure how their led module is programmed. Wife was getting annoyed with me spending 2-3 days in the garage so i left it at that.
Mine are due Friday. After I have them, I intend to phone the originators/designers of these lights and ask them how I can wire them to be on for both hi & lo beams. I hope its as simple as you said.
Rattlebars
05-09-2019, 12:35 PM
My thoughts are always "make my own."
>CLICK ME< (http://www.rattlebars.com/spyder/spyder.html) scroll down to fog lights.
My thoughts are always "make my own."
>CLICK ME< (http://www.rattlebars.com/spyder/spyder.html) scroll down to fog lights.
I thought of doing that but got lazy and like the C shape DRL. I have a bucket list of DIY projects for the bike and I enjoy improvising.
Rattlebars
05-10-2019, 01:14 PM
I thought of doing that but got lazy and like the C shape DRL. I have a bucket list of DIY projects for the bike and I enjoy improvising.
:2thumbs:
The only other thing i don't like but I can live with is with the lights going off when you have high beams. I like to have my high beams running during the day so now I have to chose between this or high beams.
I spoke with Reggie at the mfr of these ARC lights and he says that the fog light part should be on in both lo and hi beam modes. But in hi beam, the DRL goes out. He also stated that when you have the fogs switched off, the C shaped DRLs are on only when the lo beams are on. Are you experiencing something different?
donhy
05-10-2019, 04:27 PM
I spoke with Reggie at the mfr of these ARC lights and he says that the fog light part should be on in both lo and hi beam modes. But in hi beam, the DRL goes out. He also stated that when you have the fogs switched off, the C shaped DRLs are on only when the lo beams are on. Are you experiencing something different?
Thats what im experiencing but i would've prefered that c shaped lights run on high beams.
Thats what im experiencing but i would've prefered that c shaped lights run on high beams.
Me too!
ChicagoSpyder
05-14-2019, 04:09 AM
171719
171720
171721
Nice job and thanks so much for the pics!! My lights just got delivered the other day, I haven't spent any time looking at them so am I to assume the all parts seen except the spacing washers came with the kit?
Thats what im experiencing but i would've prefered that c shaped lights run on high beams.
I'm assuming that there is a three wire lead coming out of the fixture housing; ground, DRL, and fog, if so we all we have to do is cut the DRL circuit out of the connector and then tie that wire into a hot when running circuit to allow the DRL to be on whenever the machine is running.
I hope to get into doing some lighting and wiring mods this weekend as long as it doesn't cut into quality riding time, golf time, and barbeque time :bbq:
donhy
05-14-2019, 08:14 AM
Nice job and thanks so much for the pics!! My lights just got delivered the other day, I haven't spent any time looking at them so am I to assume the all parts seen except the spacing washers came with the kit?
I'm assuming that there is a three wire lead coming out of the fixture housing; ground, DRL, and fog, if so we all we have to do is cut the DRL circuit out of the connector and then tie that wire into a hot when running circuit to allow the DRL to be on whenever the machine is running.
I hope to get into doing some lighting and wiring mods this weekend as long as it doesn't cut into quality riding time, golf time, and barbeque time :bbq:
Spacing washers and heat shields dont come with a kit. Everything is plug and play and easy to do unless you are OCD like me and try to align everythinf perfectly than you just have to play with washers till you get it right. Yes there is a three wire connector right beside fog light housing.
donhy
05-14-2019, 08:20 AM
Note you could also add spacers to the metal bracket holding the light but it didnt look as sturdy as the back mounting plate so i was worried id get vibrations, didnt want people ahead of me thinking im flashing lights at them
I had a piece of black plastic pipe on hand that measured just under 7/8" diameter and it friction fit nicely into the three recesses. So I set my band saw and cut six pieces 3/4" long and tapped them into place. The mounting bracket is now set forward like donhy's is. After everything was put back together, the lights are right where I wanted them.
Thanks to donhy for showing the way with washers. I used his photo showing a stack of three washers as my guide by measuring a similar stack and then adding the depth on the recess.
Sorry, no photos. Grandson and his 9 year old son came by and we all pitched in on the light installation. The boy loves learning and using tools, especially the powered ones. They made the job go a lot faster.
I am very pleased with the Arc lights and the results.
donhy
05-14-2019, 10:32 AM
I had a piece of black plastic pipe on hand that measured just under 7/8" diameter and it friction fit nicely into the three recesses. So I set my band saw and cut six pieces 3/4" long and tapped them into place. The mounting bracket is now set forward like donhy's is. After everything was put back together, the lights are right where I wanted them.
Thanks to donhy for showing the way with washers. I used his photo showing a stack of three washers as my guide by measuring a similar stack and then adding the depth on the recess.
Sorry, no photos. Grandson and his 9 year old son came by and we all pitched in on the light installation. The boy loves learning and using tools, especially the powered ones. They made the job go a lot faster.
I am very pleased with the Arc lights and the results.
I'm glad you like them, you are probably noticing now how yellow headlight bulbs are and thinking of replacing those with LED's :)
I'm glad you like them, you are probably noticing now how yellow headlight bulbs are and thinking of replacing those with LED's :)
How'd you ever guess?? :)
ChicagoSpyder
05-14-2019, 10:58 AM
Spacing washers and heat shields dont come with a kit. Everything is plug and play and easy to do unless you are OCD like me and try to align everythinf perfectly than you just have to play with washers till you get it right. Yes there is a three wire connector right beside fog light housing.
I forgot about the driver for the LED's, I took a look at the light kit this morning and that turned on the bulb between my ears. I'll do some voltage testing while doing the installation of the plug and play setup and see if I can figure out how to keep the DRL's on with both the high beam and low beam lights.
ChicagoSpyder
05-29-2019, 09:28 PM
Spacing washers and heat shields dont come with a kit. Everything is plug and play and easy to do unless you are OCD like me and try to align everythinf perfectly than you just have to play with washers till you get it right. Yes there is a three wire connector right beside fog light housing.
I spaced mine out like yours and it seems the mounting plate might be forcing out the side panel slightly..... In any event I forgot to order the the heat shields so I got creative and took a 2.5" holesaw to the blankoff plate along with a little grinding and it worked really well, and thenl I broke off the mounting tab on the second plate I was modifying, with that I just ordered two heat shields and when they are delivered I'll check and see if the mounting plate is rubbing against the side panel.
Thanks for your install tips Donhy it helped make the job easier and better looking :cheers:
GaryinWI
05-30-2019, 10:28 PM
I just in stalled the ******* arc lights and was also surprised and disappointed about the gap around the lights. Otherwise a well-engineered kit. Guess i’ll Get over it.
I made spacers out of thick wall plastic tubing. They are 3/4" long and fit into the 3 recesses that the mounting bolts use. The result is the lights are moved forward enough that any gap is negligible. I even ordered a pair of heat shields and a doubt I will use them.
If anyone is interested in the O.D. of that tubing, I'll post it.
Rattlebars
05-31-2019, 02:31 PM
Arc fog lights look like a horse eye...
172540
Flanker
06-01-2019, 01:12 PM
So i got them installed today and unfortunately there is a gap although only noticeable if you get too close i am happy with the lights but not with the gap and i think theh should stick out to the front a bit more. For price its not a bad set. Coolness factor you ant beat it.171632
How did you get your Spyder to stick to the wall like that? :hun:
Oh..........................never mind..............................it's a Spyder. :joke:
rahine
06-01-2019, 10:39 PM
For those of you that have the Arc LEDs and don't like the gap is that with or without the BRP heatshields?172578
SgtRay
06-02-2019, 11:12 PM
I got the arc lights they seem to work really nice. And I definitely put a statement on the bike with the daytime running lights.
https://youtu.be/LQFTpw362hk
Nice video SgtRay. Nice cases. What brand are the seats? They look to be real comfy.
SgtRay
06-03-2019, 01:58 PM
Nice video SgtRay. Nice cases. What brand are the seats? They look to be real comfy.
They are the ones in the can am site on the store page.
Anyone wanting a pair of F3 fog light heat shields, I find I don't need mine. Moving the lights forward doesn't leave any blank spaces.
$20 to my PayPal and they are yours, including shipping. PM me.
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